US, UK and Australia to Jointly Develop Undersea Drones

The United States, Britain and Australia will jointly develop unmanned undersea vehicles under the AUKUS defense partnership, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced at the Shangri-La Dialogue security conference in Singapore.

The first underwater drones are to be delivered in 2027. According to a joint statement, they are intended to improve the reconnaissance and strike capabilities of all three countries and strengthen their advantage in anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare, mine clearance and electronic warfare.

The project forms part of AUKUS Pillar Two, a program aimed at developing advanced military technologies including artificial intelligence, quantum technologies, hypersonic weapons and cyber defense.

British Defense Secretary John Healey said the new systems would increase the ability to respond to threats including attacks on undersea cables and pipelines. He also criticized the pace of progress on AUKUS to date. "For too long in AUKUS, we talked too much and delivered too little", he said.

AUKUS was formed in 2021 and aims to strengthen security in the Indo-Pacific region amid China's growing influence.

(reuters, lud)